Does anyone sell prints at fairs and festivals?

Personally, I have very little, if any, desire in ever doing weddings, portraits or events. First of all, it's just not my cup of tea, I don't want to be told what photographs to take. Secondly, I'm not anywhere near ready to take people's hard-earned money for a job that I may not do well enough to justify their expense and I wouldn't want to compete with those who ARE good enough.

I would however like to make a few bucks at photography if at all possible. I feel like if I set up at small arts festivals and local events with a display and some matted and/or framed enlargements, I wouldn't feel like I was cheating anyone for my photography that may or may not be "good". If a potential customer comes along and pays me $X for an enlargement that I have displayed, obviously that person believes that the photo is worth what I'm charging for it. If nobody purchases my photos at the price I'm asking, I haven't hurt anybody and I'd probably learn a bit about what the market value for my stuff is.

To that end, are any of you doing what I'm suggesting and would you be willing to offer some hints? Pricing, sizing, would matted be more popular or matted and framed? Do you do your own matting and framing? If not, where do you go for that service? What subject matter seem to be most popular in your area? I'm mainly a nature photographer but I lean more towards wildlife and flora than landscapes.

Thanks in advance or any advice or discussion that anyone would like to offer.

Bill, I'm considering trying this as well. I've had a few friends who have limited success doing this, however, I think that may have been because of the way they chose to run their booths, i.e. 'spend hundreds of dollars hoping someone will buy this finished work'.

from a business standpoint, thats a lot of overhead, betting someone will like it enough to buy it and take it home with them.

The size of the events are going to dictate what you can charge, as well. If there are a lot of higher priced venders there, you can charge more, and display something larger. Smaller, less expensive festivals will draw less spendy crowds.

The best advice I could give you is to go scope these places out and see what the price spread is for what sells, and decide if you have anything you can sell enough of, for around that price, and still cover your time and booth space.

I've been kicking this around a little myself. There's a town not far from here that has a nice art festival every year.
If it was me, I think I'd display a few prints matted and framed, but have prints in plastic sleeves for purchase; too many variables on what frames and mats people like, but the displays would show how beautiful your prints can be when framed properly.

LV Moose wrote in post #14912650
I've been kicking this around a little myself. There's a town not far from here that has a nice art festival every year.
If it was me, I think I'd display a few prints matted and framed, but have prints in plastic sleeves for purchase; too many variables on what frames and mats people like, but the displays would show how beautiful your prints can be when framed properly.

This is probably a good idea and would prevent me jumping in with both feet and spending hundreds or thousands to frame several dozen prints for the display. I do feel like I'd need one of the quick to set up canopies, a backdrop to hang framed prints on and a couple of bins to hold several dozen assorted matted prints. I'm not sure what that would cost or what the initial printing and matting/framing would cost but obviously I'd have to take a chance on losing most or all of my initial investment, depending on how well my work was received.

Bill Ragosta wrote in post #14912674
I do feel like I'd need one of the quick to set up canopies, a backdrop to hang framed prints on...

I bet you could rent of those heavier-duty canvas jobs, with three sides and a top.

LV Moose wrote in post #14912689
I bet you could rent of those heavier-duty canvas jobs, with three sides and a top.

Yeah, those are probably nicer and would likely provide more protection in the case of a rogue storm.

i've used the pop up canopies with the wrap around sides at track days. they work remarkably well.

Flores wrote in post #14912715
i've used the pop up canopies with the wrap around sides at track days. they work remarkably well.

Thanks, I've seen the different teams at track invitationals gathered under their canopies and they seem to weather the wind fairly well. I looked into one art's festival and they suggested no anchors, I'm not sure how you keep those things from blowing away otherwise.

I haven't done a show in about 5 years, but when I did this is what it looked like: https://photography-on-the.net …php?p=6320527&p​ostcount=5

Very nice Mike, that gives me some things to think about and some research to do.

We sell 12" x 16" prints with a card mount and back board in a 16" x 20" cellophane envelope for £20 each or the same thing framed for £35. A friend has a similar operation including stretched canvases selling slightly smaller images.

Our operation is small enough that we can do it in a "car boot" style. My friend has a proper traders tent with screens on which his motorsports images are arranged.

We are lucky to be able to source the frames and all the mounts, boards and envelopes locally at very good prices. I find that local landscapes are the most popular and the fact that some people recognise that I've featured on the local magazine covers a half dozen times does me no harm at all, so I've learnt to have reproductions of the covers around the place.

The income we make would not keep us alive on it own, but it supplements other income streams nicely.

Lowner wrote in post #14913438
We sell 12" x 16" prints with a card mount and back board in a 16" x 20" cellophane envelope for £20 each or the same thing framed for £35. A friend has a similar operation including stretched canvases selling slightly smaller images.

Our operation is small enough that we can do it in a "car boot" style. My friend has a proper traders tent with screens on which his motorsports images are arranged.

We are lucky to be able to source the frames and all the mounts, boards and envelopes locally at very good prices. I find that local landscapes are the most popular and the fact that some people recognise that I've featured on the local magazine covers a half dozen times does me no harm at all, so I've learnt to have reproductions of the covers around the place.

The income we make would not keep us alive on it own, but it supplements other income streams nicely.

Thanks for the thoughts. The truth is that I don't expect or need to make a living at it, I'm thinking more along the lines of supplementing my retirement income.

Bill Ragosta wrote in post #14912735
Thanks, I've seen the different teams at track invitationals gathered under their canopies and they seem to weather the wind fairly well. I looked into one art's festival and they suggested no anchors, I'm not sure how you keep those things from blowing away otherwise.

My father in law does an art show annually to display paintings. They arent allowed to anchor the ez-up canopies directly to the ground. What the artists in his group do is make weights by filling 1/2 gallon milk jugs with concrete and then suspending them via rope from the crossmembers close to each upright pole. It works very well. Another artist used lengths of 4 inch pvc filled with concrete and sunk eyebolts in the concrete.

Bill Ragosta wrote in post #14913350
Very nice Mike, that gives me some things to think about and some research to do.

Hope it helps!

Where in Pennsylvania are you located? I grew up near Pittsburgh.

Hikin Mike wrote in post #14913533
Hope it helps!

Where in Pennsylvania are you located? I grew up near Pittsburgh.

I'm in the north central part of the state, Potter County.